WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS : Herz Steals a Win for Huskies, 64-62

The teammates of North Hollywood center Debbie Herz have promised to help her win a 3-A City Section championship this season as kind of a senior going-away present. Wednesday night at North Hollywood, Herz and her teammates came one step closer to that goal, coming from behind to beat second-place Reseda, 64-62. The win put the Huskies (12-2 overall, 7-0 in league) one game away from clinching the West Valley League title.

Herz scored the winning basket on a layup with 16 seconds remaining after she stole the ball from a Reseda player under the Huskies’ basket. After a Reseda timeout, Regent guard Dana Jones missed a 15-footer with three seconds left. Her teammate, guard Angie Smith, got the rebound and was fouled, sending her to the free throw line in a one-and-one situation with one second remaining.

North Hollywood Coach Rich Allen called a timeout to ice Smith, but she had already been pretty cold at the line, having missed 9 of 11 attempts. And she missed again to have any chance of a Reseda comeback.

North Hollywood, down 37-29 at halftime, switched to a spread offense in the third quarter and outscored Reseda, 17-9, to tie the game.

The Huskies were led by guard Leticia Carranza with 18 points. Herz had 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Ysraelya Horner scored 12 points--all in the second half--and Sandrine Rocher had 10 points and 7 rebounds.

For Reseda (9-2, 5-2), guard Dana Jones had 18 points and 8 assists. Smith finished with 12 points and 5 steals, and center Aggie Garcia had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Another win would clinch North Hollywood’s fourth consecutive league championship. Allen said this year’s team is the best of the four.

“They work together. As soon as they’re challenged, they respond to the challenge,” he said.

RESEDA--Kalajian 8, Hightower 9, Garcia 11 and 11 rebounds, D. Jones 18 and 8 assists, Smith 12 and 5 steals, Cirrito 4.

NORTH HOLLYWOOD--Mickelson 8, Rocher 10, Herz 12 points and 12 rebounds, Carranza 18, Horner 12, Anger 2, Sharp 2.